Use of ionizing radiation for cut flowers disinfestation. 2. Aphids irradiation (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Cut flowers and ornamental plants exportation require the same disinfestation cares as foods do. The 300 Gy minimum dose of ionizing radiation has been considered to the quarentine treatment against mites and insects other than fruit flies. This dose seems to be enough to guarantee the insect sterilization. Aphids in many developmental phases were irradiated in a cobalt-60 Gamma cell source with doses up to 900 Gy. Insect survival was not modified by irradiation, but the individual number of F1 generation from irradiated insects presented an evident reduction in relation to the control ones. (author). 5 refs, 2 figs, 1 tabs